Report created by Erin Brown, Shorebird Counter and Public Educator for the Shorebird Conservation and Education Project with the Saint John Naturalists Club.
Counts
Flats
- When I arrived at 8:00 a.m., the flats were already partially covered and most of the shorebirds had left. Only 4 “peeps” were seen.
- Other birds included: 240 gulls, 6 Great Blue Herons, 1 Cormorants, 2 Eiders, and around 20 unidentified ducks.
Pocket Beaches
- A: No shorebirds seen.
- B: 8 Semipalmated Plovers.
- C: No shorebirds seen.
- D: 6 Semipalmated Plovers. 3 Common Loons fed offshore.
- Beach between D and E: No shorebirds observed.
- E: 3 Semipalmated Plover
- Inaccessible Beaches: No shorebirds observed.
Marsh
- Small groups of “peeps” were seen flying between areas of grass or in the ponds. Totaled 84 birds.
- Other birds seen included: 4 Great Egrets, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 12 Canada Geese, 6 Gulls, 3 Great Blue Herons, 17 Black Ducks, 2 Mallards, and 1 Cormorant.
Main Beach
- Shorebirds roosting: 115 Semipalmated Plovers, 1,482 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 10 “peeps,” and 1 American Golden Plover.
- Other birds included 4 Gulls.
- At high tide, the beach was blanketed in fog and there were no people on the beach, allowing me to do a detailed count. Well after high tide, 2 people and 4 unleashed dogs were seen on the main beach but too distant to catch up with.
East Beach
- Shorebirds roosting: 115 Semipalmated Plovers, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 2 Sanderlings.
- Other birds seen included 1 Common Loon feeding offshore.
- 6 People walked the beach and there was 1 leashed dog. 5 People were approached – 2 were walking through the roosting birds so this was addressed but the message seemed dismissed.
This project was made possible with the support from our funders at the Environment and Climate Change Canada. We would like to thank our partners at Irving Nature Park and NatureNB.